Page 34 of Deadmen's Queen

“No! No, of course not!” Her hand trembled under mine, and I squeezed it gently.

“Paige, tell me the truth.”

Her lips parted and I saw her chest rise and fall rapidly under her dress. She was starting to panic again.

“I won’t say or do anything, I just want to know.”

She hesitated, then nodded, her body almost deflating as the silent confession left her. I knew it. Rage charged through me, but I kept it under control, letting it boil in my blood, as I continued to question her.

“Often?”

“Not often. He… he likes to drink, and when he’s had a lot, you’ve just got to be careful not to annoy him.”

I lowered my other hand from the table to my other side where she couldn’t see it, clenching it tightly.

“And your mother?”

“He hit her more than me. I was usually kept out of the way.”

“Did she hit you?”

Paige swallowed. “Yes, but that wasn’t too bad. She… did other things. Worse things.”

I gritted my teeth. “Like what?”

But Paige had reached her limit, and I caught the glimmer in her eyes as she turned her head away.

“I can’t…” she whispered.

The waiter reappeared with our meals, and I waited as he set the plates and dishes down for us. Paige sipped at her brandy and I suppressed a smile watching her trying not to cringe at the sixteen hundred pound bottle she clearly didn’t like.

The waiter left, and I watched her toy with the food, clearly now no longer hungry since I’d forced this topic of conversation upon her. I hated seeing her like this, so defeated and sad, and so completely unaware of her own worth. The feeling of helplessness and anger gnawed at me. But all I saw was this brilliant woman in front of me who had faced so much and was still standing resiliently. I hated that she’d been put through this, and I vowed they wouldn’t get away with it. Somehow, someway, Neil and Pauline Matthews would pay for what they’d done to their daughter.

“Nobody deserves to be treated like that, Paige,” I said softly. “And I am going to make sure it never, ever happens to you again.”

She looks up, the defeat and acceptance in her eyes tearing at my heart.

“I should have been better, smarter, prettier. Better at talking to people. I let them down all the time, Bast. Just like I’ll let you down.” My heart ached at her words.

“You listen to me right now, Paige,” I said sternly. “None of that is true. They were your parents and you deserved love, care and respect no matter who you are or what you look like. You are an intelligent, beautiful and incredibly talented woman who’s self worth and confidence has been repeatedly knocked. That is not your fault. You deserve the world, and I won't let anyone ever make you feel less than that.”

She sniffled, trying to hold back her tears but failing, as they spilled down her cheeks. “I'm not...I've never been...”

“Enough?” I finished for her, my voice rough, my throat tight. “You're more than enough, princess. And you always have been.”

I reached out for her, pulling her to me so I could kiss her. I wasn’t so good with words either. I just needed her to know how much she was coming to mean to me. Her lips met mine, salty with tears, and I kissed her with everything I had, not holding back, just wanting her to feel what I felt. I hurt for her, for the pain she'd endured and kept hidden from the world. I hated to think of her enduring this alone, but the very thought of it made me appreciate her strength even more. Paige was a survivor and although I wanted to protect her, I knew she had the spirit to fight back.

When I finally pulled back, I reached up to brush her tears away.

“You're not alone anymore, Paige,” I whispered, locking eyes with her. “I promise you that.”

She nodded tentatively, as if she wanted to believe in my words but feared they would be empty ones. I searched for some way to make her understand.

“The Persephone role. You agreed to it for the money, didn’t you, Paige? Not because of greed, or because you wanted to get ahead, but because you wanted to escape.”

She nodded. “I knew it would turn me into the slut my mother always said I was, but it’s my only way out.” She looked up at me. “I just need to keep her happy till the school year ends, and then I can run.”

I sighed, not quite believing I was about to do this.

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